Friday means Fabio's Meatballs . . .

Maybe you've already watched Fabio cook. He jokes, he flirts, he flings ingredients around. The result:  Fabulous! 

So yesterday, I looked at the hamburger defrosting in the fridge and thought about Fabio. While I rarely flirt in the kitchen, Fabio kind of cooks like me -- he doesn't measure exactly. So I watched his video once again (see below). 

I didn't have all his fancy ingredients, BUT I made the most wonderful meatballs. 

Here's my meatball recipe inspired by Fabio which serves four. (Fabio's video follows).

1. Make breadcrumbs. Cube 2 slices of your favorite bread. Stir fry cubes until toasted in 1 TBS or so of butter and a little olive oil (enough to generously cover the bottom of your frying pan). Salt or add garlic salt to taste. Set aside.

2. Make the meatball mixture. Mix well in no special order: about 1 pound of hamburger with 2 eggs, about 1 cup fresh basil shredded, about 1 cup of your favorite Parmesan cheese, those home-made bread crumbs, 3 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped fine, about 1 teasp of oregano, and a healthy teasp of salt. Set aside.

3. Make the sauce. Open a can of S&W crushed tomatoes (Italian Recipie with Oregano & Basil). Warm up in large frying pan. 

4. Make the meatballs. Fabio suggests rubbing your hands with a little olive oil so the hamburger doesn't stick to your hands (this works). As you form the meatballs, put them in the simmering tomatoes. Add a little water and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn gently and simmer another 10 minutes. Make the pasta (spaghetti) during these last 10 minutes. Add a little more water if the sauce gets too thick. UPDATE: I threw in a handful of spinach right before serving. That's some of the green stuff.

5. Prepare a presentation plate of sauce and meatballs, drizzling a little olive oil on the top AND adding a little leftover fresh basil. Serve with pasta, garlic bread, maybe a glass of vino, and a green salad. Oh, heck, how about spumoni for dessert. Enjoy!

My Meatballs -- inspired by Fabio (Camp 2013)

And here's Fabio himself -- an inspiring and inspired cook!

Update: May 24: For some inexplicable reason, Yahoo! took down Fabio's fabulous video on preparing these delicious meatballs, so please visit his home site at http://fabioviviani.com/  You won't be disappointed . . .